All assessments of the criminal prosecution of specific individuals, including the designation of detained persons as political prisoners, reflect the position of our Project. Such assessments are not based on the views and assessments of the individuals being prosecuted, their families, friends or lawyers, and do not imply their consent or approval. The information regarding the facts of specific criminal cases published on our Project’s website has been obtained from public sources and does not imply or require the consent of the individuals mentioned therein or their representatives.
Ukrainian pensioner jailed for 14 years for buying war bonds
A 66-year-old woman from the Zaporizhzhia region Larysa Bieliaieva has been sentenced to 14 years in a penal colony for purchasing Ukrainian war bonds.
22 Apr, 2026
67-Year-Old Crimean blacksmith Oleg Prikhodko faces life sentence
Oleg Prikhodko, a 67-year-old blacksmith from Crimea and a veteran of the Maidan protests, is facing the prospect of life imprisonment.
21 Apr, 2026
Crimean Tatar activist Tofig Abdulgaziev faces ‘contempt of court’ charge after hearing on release on health grounds
A new criminal case has been opened against Tofig Abdulgaziev, a terminally ill Crimean Tatar activist, following a court hearing intended to consider his release on compassionate grounds.
21 Apr, 2026
Politically Motivated Prosecutions in Q1 2026
While the first quarter of 2026 saw a marginal decline in newly documented cases of politically motivated persecution, the reality is far from a reprieve
21 Apr, 2026
New details emerge in death of preacher Khristolyub Vegan: Found hanged in cell with ‘broken’ CCTV
Khristolyub Vegan was found hanged in a punishment isolation cell (SHIZO), according to the official account provided to his father.
17 Apr, 2026
Christian preacher and blogger Khristolyub Vegan dies in Voronezh penal colony
Christian preacher and blogger Khristolyub Vegan has died in a penal colony in Voronezh.
15 Apr, 2026
First Department: Putin issues official authorisation for extrajudicial detention of those ‘opposing the Special Military Operation’
A formal directive issued by Vladimir Putin on 8 March 2022 mandates the ‘organisation of the reception and accommodation of persons obstructing the Special Military Operation’.
14 Apr, 2026
An artist from Komsomolsk-on-Amur who was arrested over a comment died by suicide in a pre-trial detention center
Andrey Akuzin, a 53-year-old artist and set designer, has died by suicide in a pre-trial detention centre in Komsomolsk-on-Amur.
13 Apr, 2026
Political prisoner Alexander Shestun declares dry hunger strike after escalating protest in detention
Political prisoner Alexander Shestun, currently held at a prison hospital in Torzhok in Russia’s Tver region, formally declared a dry hunger strike on 8 April.
10 Apr, 2026
Novaya Gazeta journalist Oleg Roldugin remanded in custody over alleged misuse of personal data
A Moscow court has ordered the pre-trial detention of Oleg Roldugin, executive editor of Novaya Gazeta, in a case concerning the alleged illegal use and transfer of personal data, according to Mediazona
10 Apr, 2026
Kherson resident, 55, jailed for 12 years on treason charges
A Russian-installed court has sentenced Natalia Povetkina, a 55-year-old resident of the Kherson region, to 12 years.
09 Apr, 2026
A 65-year-old journalist was arrested in Chita on charges of treason
Authorities in Chita have taken a 65-year-old journalist Alexander Andreev into custody on charges of treason.
09 Apr, 2026
The Norwegian Nobel Committee condemned the attempt to criminalize Memorial
The Norwegian Nobel Committee has called on the Russian authorities to withdraw their claim to designate Memorial as an extremist organisation.
08 Apr, 2026
Activists in ‘Vesna’ case handed prison terms of up to 12 years for ‘extremism’
Several defendants in the ‘Vesna’ case have been sentenced to between six and twelve years in prison.
08 Apr, 2026
Indigenous rights defender remanded in custody in case linked to banned ‘Aborigen Forum’
A second arrest has been confirmed in the ‘Aborigen Forum’ case. Natalya Leongardt, a specialist in the rights of Russia’s indigenous peoples of the North, was detained on 17 December 2025.
18 Mar, 2026
Political Prisoner Vladimir Osipov Dies in Ukhta Detention Centre
Vladimir Osipov, sentenced to six and a half years in a penal colony, has died in the Ukhta pre-trial detention centre.
08 Mar, 2026
Free Political Prisoner Mothers
Sign our petition to free mothers of underage children imprisoned for political causes
03 Mar, 2026
At least 16 criminal cases against Ukrainian citizens filed with the military court in Rostov-on-Don in February
In February, the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don received criminal cases against at least sixteen Ukrainian citizens accused of extremism, terrorism
18 Feb, 2026
Russian investigators have opened a new criminal case against Nikita Uvarov, the principal defendant in the so-called ‘Kansk teenagers’ case’
A new case had been opened against politprisoner Nikita Uvarov. It concerns alleged involvement in the banned prison subculture movement AUE.
11 Feb, 2026
Kazakhstan approves extradition request for Russian activist Yuliya Emelyanova
Former staff member of Navalny’s St. Petersburg headquarters, Yuliya Emelyanova, received a document stating that Kazakhstan has agreed to her extradition.
10 Feb, 2026
Elderly Ukrainian Woman Jailed for 15 Years by Russian Occupying Authorities for Donating to Ukrainian Armed Forces
Svitlana Loi, a 69-year-old pensioner from the Russian-occupied city of Tokmak in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, has been sentenced to 15 years in a general-regime penal colony by the so-called ‘Zaporizhzhia Oblast Court’.
10 Feb, 2026
In January, at least ten criminal cases were brought before the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don against Ukrainian nationals prosecuted under Russia’s ‘terrorism’ provisions
Within 15 working days in January, the court delivereWithin 15 working days in January, the court delivered verdicts in 27 additional cases involving Ukrainian nationalsd verdicts in 27 additional cases involving Ukrainian nationals
06 Feb, 2026
Nineteen prisoners of war, sentenced to long terms in Russia, have returned to Ukraine
150 Ukrainian military personnel have been released as part of a prisoner exchange
06 Feb, 2026
The human rights group Russia Behind Bars has reported the death of a man convicted of treason
The human rights group Russia Behind Bars has reported the death of Roman Sidorkin convicted of treason.
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